A new decree by Venezuela's government could make its citizens work on farms to tackle the country's severe food shortages.

In a vaguely-worded decree, Venezuelan officials indicated that public and private sector employees could be forced to work in the country's fields for at least 60-day periods, which may be extended "if circumstances merit."

President Nicolas Maduro is using his executive powers to declare a state of economic emergency. By using a decree, he can legally circumvent Venezuela's opposition-led National Assembly -- the Congress -- which is staunchly against all of Maduro's actions. According to the decree from July 22, workers would still be paid their normal salary by the government and they can't be fired from their actual job.

Venezuela once had a robust agricultural sector. But under its socialist regime, which began with Hugo Chavez in 1999, the oil-rich country started importing more food and invested less in agriculture. Nearly all of Venezuela's revenue from exports comes from oil. With oil prices down to about $41 a barrel from over $100 about two years ago, Venezuela has quickly run out of cash and can't pay for its imports of food, toilet paper and other necessities. Neglected farms are now being asked to pick up the slack.

Wow. Just wow. Atlas Shrugged in 2016. Complete loss of liberties. I wonder if they are closing their borders to keep people from leaving or encouraging them to leave since they can't feed them selves anymore.

I like the "...in a vaguely worded decree..." part. Right out of the dictator's play book. Make laws vague so local tyrants can interpret them however they want.

Incredible! Here is a country with vast natural resources and great potential for tourism totally destroyed by socialism! I am reposting this to Facebook, and I know some of my liberal friends will still defend this system.. I just don't understand.. But hey, some people believe the earth is flat so..

One would definitely have to consider "bugging out." At last report, 20 percent of the population was still part of the establishment, and doing "well". Presumably, they won't be the one's forced into working. Even then, one might work for room and board. Do they not feed their own workers? I suppose not, which amounts to forced labor. During the last global depression, the economy was primarily agrarian. People survived they same way they did in the previous century. That, and some public works projects.

Where would one go, however? The global economy is in the grips of a tri-axis of evil, Russia, China, and the US. There is no where to turn except where one lays their head, and to be self sufficient. For my part, I'll keep comms up, by any means necessary.

Venezuela crushes 2,000 guns in public, plans registry of bullets.The new interior minister relaunched a long-stalled gun control campaign in one of the world's most crime-ridden countries.The event marked the renewal of efforts to disarm Venezuelans, through a combination of seizures and a voluntary program to swap guns for electrical goods.

Venezuela has the world's second highest murder rate and the street gangs that plague its poor neighborhoods have become increasingly heavily armed...

Wow. Just...wow. The article reads like it's 1943 Nazi Germany, but this is 2016, the country isn't even at war and used to be a prosperous country. Murder is everywhere and of course it's going to be the good citizens that get disarmed and left defenseless.

Quote

We are going to bring disarmament and peace," Reverol told reporters...

Venezuela has also bought laser technology to mark ammunition, Reverol said, in an attempt to keep a registry of the bullets given out to the South American nation's many state and municipal police forces. Experts say that much of the ammunition used in crimes in Venezuela is made at the country's government munitions factory and sold on by corrupt police.

Disarmament = peace? Is he a moron or just trying to prevent the peasants from storming the castle and killing the King?Oh, and lazer marking ammunition?

The Organization of American States adopted rules for intervention that allow a state to repulse a civil or military revolution - in so doing they helped ensure that once a country commits to a socialist agenda, as long as they do not overtly close the democratically elected national assembly - not even a 'people's revolution' will be tolerated...